Page 171 of Vicious Is My Throne

Those symbols would—in theory—boost our power. Along with the keystones, we stood a chance at containing him, then Anaria could kill him.

I couldn’t help but feel that every failure, every sacrifice, everything I’d ever done had led me straight here, to this moment. To serve, perhaps to die for, my queen.

I measured the cave one final time. I’d done this very same pincer move with entire armies out on the battlefield and they’d never seen us coming.

But this…I swallowed and sent out my first order.

It’s time.

I waited until Tavion prowled out of the dark slash in the rock and padded silently across the glassy floor, Zorander appearing out of midair, kneeling to hide his wings behind the rockpile.

Tristan waited in the shadows, hand gripping Anaria’s shoulder, their gazes fixed on Corvus.

Now, I thought, heart thundering, sucking in a lungful of stagnant air and the overwhelming stench of this place, stepping into the trail of sludge he’d tracked across the floor. My boots slipped as I stumbled toward the opening, Tavion racing beside me, his hair a streak of white against the blackness.

Feathers rustled as Zor flew in the opposite direction, faster than the wind, setting down in the thick, black slime behind Corvus.

The air rumbled overhead from Corvus’s slow, grinding halt as he finally realized he wasn’t alone, but he reacted slowly, giving Tavion and I time to move into position, careful to avoid the fountain of rot streaming through the opening.

“Stay close to the wall,” I growled to the wolf, skirting the edge of that raging river, knowing if Corvus changed direction even slightly, I could, at least, ghost myself out of the way.

Tavion would be crushed.

But the Old God was too large to maneuver quickly in this space, too bound up by twisted vines and thorns, the stream of rot stuttering to a halt as he clumsily pivoted, scraping against the floor like some ancient leviathan crawling out of the deepest ocean trench.

Stones. Three distinct points ignited in the darkness, one dark, one white, one blue, stars flickering in an ocean of night. Two blocking the opening, one at the rear of the cave.

The air shifted in a rush as a golden wyvern soared out of the dark opening, hovered midair in front of Corvus, and opened his mouth, chest and throat glowing like the sun.

Fire spilled out of Tristan’s mouth like lava, blanketing Corvus in consuming heat. Like lamp oil, his slick shell ignited, vines twisting and flailing like headless snakes, thorns growing into spikes then crumbling off.

Corvus was burning, but I focused on the floor around him, every inch except the very edges covered in that thick, cloying layer of black sludge.

Clear the floor so we can find those symbols and harness the power here.

Another breath and Tristan scorched the slime away, the floor becoming a gleaming sheet of mirrored black, golden symbols glowing red from the heat.

Find your symbol. Get into position. Tristan soared back to the crevice, caught the pants Anaria tossed him, pulled them on, then snagged his stone from midair, racing toward the center, his feet barely touching the floor.

Corvus thrashed, burning flames crawling over him as he sent vicious lashes of shadow spearing for us. Tavion hit the floor, one of them cleaving the air over his head like a scythe.

I vanished when another got too close.

Zorander hovered midair, measuring the Old God’s every move, ready to move at a second’s notice.

Then bright gold flames turned darker, becoming a midnight aura around a much-diminished but still-enormous Corvus, the putrid stench growing stronger. He was still a slimy pile of shite, if you asked me, but more like Anaria had described him.

I stopped, planting my boots firmly on my symbol. Tavion had found his, Zorander setting down, waiting for my signal.

Tristan slid into position last, his bare feet skidding over the smooth surface.

This had to work.

When Anaria described this cave, the marks on the floor, I thought this place might have been some kind of shrine, especially given the bones. But then I’d seen her re-creation today and realized—that’s not what this place was at all.

Not even close.

This cave was a prison.

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